O. (3)

O. leaning against a wall, not drawn, near her right shoulder.
Exercise in composition: can you detect what makes this pose so interesting? there is a clear dominant curve that defines the whole figure in a single swooping motion. Can you see it?
"It is simply a confortable position."-she said.
Yes, and as a friend of mine who's into Yoga would probably say, we spend a lot of effort constraining our bodies into very rigid, very uncomfortable, very ugly positions. There is a social tendency for the straight line that functionally and aesthetically belongs maybe in architecture (and even there only sometimes) but not in anatomy. Gravity, muscle and bone, left to themselves, find aesthetics very easily, in curves such as these.

Details: the hands, folded back below the wrist make a lovely whirly stop to the motion of the arm. Many lines and planes - the arms, the end of the jacket, the imaginary line from the shoulder blade that envelops the ribcage and emerges beneath the breast, the plane of the shoulder girdle, etc. crisscross the main curve, giving variety and balance to the pose.

O. (2)

I found this pose extremely captivating and raced to get it while it lasted. O. was leaning forward, and you can clearly see, from left to right: the bulge of the tricep, the form of the deltoid enhanced by the plane change, then a very beautiful and not so common view of the left shoulder blade brought up again through the shading, and a lovely sugestion of the space between the shoulder blades, defined by the extension of the cloth covering that space. From syntax to semantics: Personally, I love the detail of the fingertips of the right hand peering out cutely from the sleeve.

O. (1)

"O." was both a pleasure and a challenge to draw. She would adopt the most interesting and elegant poses, and keep them only for a couple of seconds. I was actually first drawn to the clear spacing between the hairline and the ear, often so hard to see and here so clear due to the way she held her hair up high. But then it was the motion that got to me, so fast and varied and unpredictable. Look at the way she held one thumb in the other. Delightful, and lasting what, a whole ten seconds? The face is wrong, I am afraid. I could only see her for a moment when she detected me and then quickly looked away. After that I couldn't really correct it, because you couldn't stop smiling, could you, O.? :)

on the move

Exercise in drawing as an extreme sport: Follow behind a walking stranger, drawing as he/she goes. Try to keep a steady hand and casual look, and avoid being arrested as a paparazzi/weirdo/stalker. Good training for a would-be private eye (or paparazzi/weirdo/stalker, of course). The artistic value of this? Good for learning how to freeze a motion and/or compose a picture from various brief and slightly inconsistent frames.

Oh, hell, I just do it for the fun!

#622

Hobo #622 - Kid Silverhair, the man of indeterminate age. Quick answer to a BoingBoing challenge.

Cheating. (i.e., drawn from a magazine photo)

Faculty of Letters, University of Lisbon

Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon

Non sequitur

Classical art was the art of deception - "le trompe l'oeil". Modern art (Karma being such an unforgiving bitch) became the art of self-deception.

subway(Oriente-Alameda-Marquês)

I couldn't actually see her properly (see the vestiges of the wall?) so I actually got up and walked behind her as she left (yeah, kind of like a creepy stalker or something :)), drawing as I walked - which is sort of "drawing as an extreme sport" and should make for a nice adventurous exercise in itself. :)

subway (Oriente-Alameda)

still on the train

Clearly wondering how Tokyo will open :)

chiaroscuro

This one was actually on the Lisbon-Braga trip. It was night, and the carriage was much emptier then. He was the only subject around and I couldn't get a straight angle on his face, so I had to draw his reflection on the window instead, which gave him a sort of chiaroscuro look. I believe he spotted me once or twice but we didn't speak. From his furrowed brow I could see he was concentrating on something, so I just let him be...

He was a curious looking fellow with a slightly mad, slightly lonely aspect. I wondered where he was going, all alone. I had the impression he was wondering the same.

still on the train

A Spanish boy - if I recall correctly - travelling with his family.

Bach to sleep

Apparently, it was a chamber music lullaby :)

My favorite moment on the train is always when people fall asleep...I get a chance for a more relaxed drawing and for real observation, which is what drawing is all about. She had the most beautiful eyebrows, so thin and soft they were almost not there. The hair parted and changed directions half way down its path. The lips had a fascinating form I just couldn't catch. The beauty spot had to be carefully placed.

The nap was unfourtunately too short. I realized I had made a mistake in perspective that ruined the portrait (yes, the nose is too long, etc etc). But we were in Lisbon, and thus ended my attempt.

I still like it, though. Just like memory, a little bit skewed, but pleasurable.

Braga-Lisboa (3)

Gymnastics by my right, music by my left. By my side, Johann Sebastian was having a meeting with John Cage. Or something like that. :)

I was allowed to record it for posterity...

as long as you don't make any noise! - she said , as she turned her bach on me.

shhhh.....(musicians are so temperamental):)

Braga-Lisboa (2)

I was struck by the intensity of this motion: the tensed strength of the achiles tendon, the boldness of the heel, the agile flowing of the whole scene.

Braga-Lisboa

There is nothing quite like travelling by train. Sometimes just a great opportunity for reading, almost always a great opportunity for drawing. Sometimes, just sometimes, a chance for a wonderful chat with an interesting stranger. Thanks for the great conversation, and here is that drawing of you, the most youthful and unruly passenger on the train that evening. The lines are so fast and furious because I just knew you wouldn't keep the pose for long... :)

...and found Braga instead!

Went in search of the eclipse...

20 seconds on the phone

Pictures from the party, not the Party (2)

Them Damned foreigners! :)

Pictures from the party, not the Party (1)

Don't get turned on just yet, comrades: I'm still not voting for you :)
But don't be sad, either, I'm also not voting for the competition. Electorally speaking I am just like one of those pesky little virgins that put out to nobody until you just cannot stand them or their precious little booty :)
(I might vote for myself, and even there I'd be suspicious!)

But it would make a nice campaign picture, wouldn't it? (hint, hint) :)

So long and thanks for all the thrills

Thanks for bringing me to Leningrad, comrade. :)

The locals have probably guessed by now where these crumpled drawings have come from. In Portugal there is something called "Festa do Avante", a yearly festival organized by the Portuguese Communist Party, but attended by people of all political colours (even the sort of individualistic no-party freaks like me - the only "parties" I trust are the recreational ones). I had never attended it until this year when my friend sort of dragged me into it. Well, after three days, and now that it is over, I can say that I have not yet been converted to the Communist Party but I certainly have been converted to the Party of the Communists.

Communism may not work, but communists surely do! :)

The festival cannot be compared to any other that I attended, and this thanks mainly, not to the events, but to the people. The festival comes together from the selfless giving of volunteer work, and it is full of passion and dedication, that shows everywhere from how well things work to how friendly the staff is, even as the day is ending and everyone is surely exhausted to the point of collapse. This is not an ideologically neutral fact. There is a coming together that cannot happen in an ideology like capitalism, dependent upon hard competition for its success. Cooperation - that is circumstancial in capitalism but central to Communism - is the key to this.

Whatever our political affiliations, this spirit of generous and selfless cooperation is someting that must be salvaged. It is surely something that might be adequately taught to a child, far before she is ready for the subtle forms of directed egoism that make capitalism work (undirected egoism, of course, needs no teaching as it comes far too naturaly to most children). Ii is something that should survive whatever else may be built on top. Essentials should not be forgotten.

A casual note: Go to most festivals or parties and notice how most of the beautiful girls parade themselves. They parade their beauty as if on display, hidden behind glass, haughty, jealous, snob, distant, complete with a metaphorical price tag. I have always found this quite repulsive. Even in that respect there was a difference at this festival: In the way they danced, walked, talked, the girls where giving their beauty away, with open smiles, natural friendliness, and genuine happiness...

PS: In case you were wondering, the mention of "leningrad" comes from the simple accident that shostakovich was being played as I first arrived at the event.

more victims of the siege of Leningrad

The victim turned out to be a pretty good duelist herself, and the three of us (plus a late arrival - Dartagnan?) began to stalk for fresh prey. Here's a couple of them!
Dartagnan (unlike some people who will not be mentioned but only guessed at >:->) had the decency to bring his own drawing apparatus! :)

Reminds me: Dear Dartagnan (yes, that's you, Daniel!), don't forget to send me those photos!

PS: What the hell was I thinking when
I drew that hand???

The "victim"

The "victim" of a drawing duel, our dear "PLO refugee", responsible for my perilous stay at the walls of Leningrad (thank you!). My drawing is so badly made not even her mother would recognize her, so anonimity is not at stake, but still, since she's paranoid about her secret identity (my dear halucinating sonambulist, you are NOT a real secret agent! :)) I'll only show her back until I get a clear "from the higher ranks" :)).

PS: I badly want one of those scarfs!

still at walls of Leningrad - day 2

An encounter with a fellow duelist at the walls of Leningrad. Thanks for the great conversation, R., and thanks for the great duel. Next time try to bring your own pencil and paper, will you?! :)

By the way, could you send me a scan of your drawing of our "victim"? I still think it is cuter than mine. :)

At the walls of Leningrad (sort of)

Bored. A small sketch of no importance, from a magazine photograph of some actress. Lisbon is too hot and empty for the hunting of fleeting pictures in public transportations...

What foot fetish?

I have no idea of what you're talking about! I do not have a foot fetish!